In the age of Instagram, TikTok, YouTube and Facebook, viral videos still reign supreme.
These platforms have been perfectly formatted to support posting, sharing and liking of video content in a way that would have made us dizzy just a few short years ago.
Long gone are the days of the hit TV show “Australia’s Funniest Home Video” in which humorous video watching was contained to a half-hour weekly television installation. We are now bombarded with endless, targeted, 1-minute max video content to mindlessly watch (possibly during work hours) to what seems like no end.
Cats were once the trending video of choice, but with the rising stress, insecurity and uncertainty over the last few years, the humorous cat has been replaced with ASMR content (autonomous sensory meridian response). If you’re not familiar with the term, ASMR basically refers to satisfyingly quiet and relaxing videos.
These videos are mesmerising as a viewer and brain-meltingly good. They have no real purpose other than releasing some serotonin and being calming to watch.
However, tradies are the biggest plot twist because we are surprisingly now at a part of this sensory content rise.
That’s correct; tradie viral videos are currently trending across all platforms under this ‘ASMR’ banner and are multiplying in popularity. For instance, there is one account, who films himself cutting grass in perfectly straight lines, repeatedly on loops, and currently has got over 500 million views.
Yes, 500 million views of a landscaper cutting grass! Sounds crazy, right? But the numbers don’t lie.
Another mind-boggling account is a plumber who simply unclogged drains. He posts daily unclogging videos and is named as one of the most-watched content creators on the internet.
FOR. UNCLOGGING. DRAINS. Mind blown!
If you are sitting there scratching your head, totally confused, then we promise, you are not alone.
Even the millennials themselves are struggling to explain what exactly it is about these ASMR tradie videos that are so enticing to watch and where the source of their magic lies.
Don’t believe us? Open any social media account now and search for your trade, and we guarantee you’ll find hundreds of thousands of videos. If you search ‘plumbing’ on TikTok, there are 341.2 million related plumbing videos, and similarly, ‘carpentry’ has over 590 million eye-watering views. Instagram holds similar unbelievable stats with endless reels available for consumption.
Putting the absurdity of WHY these videos are so popular aside, we should focus on unlocking the potential opportunities and where we as business owners can piggyback on the trend.
The takeaway from this totally confusing trend is if these platforms could be where your avatar is consuming content, you might want to consider if creating these types of videos should become a part of your marketing strategy.
The video content uploaded by tradies isn’t studio production, with high-quality lighting, sound and editing; it’s simply a bloke with a phone and a social media account. So you don’t need to be a tech-guru to start making and posting these videos. If you head online, you’re not short on inspiration!
Why not show yourself doing something you do every day and gain more followers to your social media accounts. Ride this weird wave until the next ‘internet sensation’ takes over but for now, let’s celebrate that tradies are at the forefront of the digital landscape!
Make sure to check out Lifestyle Tradie on Instagram and TikTok, and why not get your own business on the platforms too?
